Hook is a 1991 American fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by James V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo. It stars Robin Williams as Peter Pan/Peter Banning, Dustin Hoffman as the titular character of Captain Hook, Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, Bob Hoskins as Smee, Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy, Caroline Goodall as Moira Banning, and Charlie Korsmo as Jack Banning. The film acts as a sequel to J. M. Barrie's 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, focusing on a grown-up Peter Pan who has forgotten his childhood. Now known as "Peter Banning", he is a successful corporate lawyer with a wife and two children. Hook kidnaps his children, and Peter must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.

Spielberg began developing the film in the early 1980s with Walt Disney Productions and Paramount Pictures, which would have followed the storyline seen in the 1924 silent film and 1953 animated film. Peter Pan entered pre-production in 1985, but Spielberg abandoned the project. James V. Hart developed the script with director Nick Castle and TriStar Pictures before Spielberg decided to direct in 1989. Hook was shot entirely on sound stages at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Although it received mostly negative reviews by critics, it became a box office success and it was nominated for multiple categories at the 64th Academy Awards. It also spawned merchandise, including video games, action figures and comic book adaptations.

Plot

Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful corporate lawyer whose relationship with his family—especially his two young children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott)—is strained by continuous absences and broken promises. His wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) struggles to keep them together and grows frustrated with Peter for his callous behavior. The family flies to London to visit Moira's grandmother, Wendy Darling (Maggie Smith), who helped Peter find a family when he was a young orphan.

Upon arrival, they meet an old man who has "lost his marbles", Tootles (Arthur Malet), Wendy's first orphan. Peter, Moira, and Wendy attend a ceremony for the expansion of Wendy's orphanage. While they are out, his children are kidnapped, with a dagger bearing a note signed by "Captain Hook" flung into their bedroom door. Wendy tells Peter that he is in fact Peter Pan and that his old enemy has returned and taken his children for revenge, but he fails to remember anything. Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) appears before Peter that night, knocks him unconscious and flies him to a pirate port in Neverland. There he awakens in disbelief, and is discovered by Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) and his second in command, Smee (Bob Hoskins), who threaten the children unless he accepts Hook's challenge to a duel. Tinker Bell intervenes and is granted three days in which to prepare him for it.

The Lost Boys, now led by Peter's successor, Rufio (Dante Basco), at first dismiss him as an old man who has no hope of regaining his former glory, but he begins to learn the magic of Neverland. Meanwhile, Hook tries to turn Peter's own children against him in the hopes they will stay in Neverland permanently. Maggie immediately mistrusts Hook and he realizes that she still believes in Peter in spite of his broken promises and continues to hold her hostage. However, Hook uses Jack's frustration over his father's continuous broken promises to steal his affection, and gains his trust during a baseball game he organizes for Jack with the other pirates. Peter is heartbroken when he sees Hook treating Jack like a son, and becomes determined to win his family back. He finally remembers his past and learns how to fly by recalling his "happy thought": being a father.

Peter regains the leadership of the Lost Boys and they challenge Hook and his pirates in an all-out battle. When he learns that Hook has turned Jack against him, Peter must win back his son's trust in him. He rescues Maggie from the other pirates and promises that he'll be more attentive as a father. Meanwhile, Hook and Rufio valiantly fight in a sword fight and Hook stabs Rufio, killing him. Before dying, Rufio tells Peter he wishes that he had a father like him in his life. Watching Rufio die breaks Jack's heart and seeing how much Peter cared for the Lost Boy allows him to regain his trust in his father. Peter and Hook engage in a climactic sword fight. Hook is killed when the crocodile, now a massive clock tower, falls on him. Peter returns home with Jack and Maggie and designates the largest member of the Lost Boys, Thud Butt (Raushan Hammond), the only other lost boy besides Rufio to whom Peter developed a connection, as leader of the Lost Boys in his absence. Peter also tells all the Lost Boys to take care of everybody smaller than him, and promises them all he will never forget them again.

Returning home, Peter finally realizes the love he has for his family and the importance of having a youthful heart. Tootles, a former Lost Boy, is dismayed at missing the adventure, but discovers pixie dust in his bag of lost marbles and uses it to go flying around London and back to Neverland. Wendy remarks to Peter that his adventures are now over, but Peter says to live would be an awfully great adventure.

Cast

Robin Williams as Peter Banning/Peter Pan: A successful corporate lawyer who must reclaim his youthful spirit as Peter Pan in order to challenge Hook and reclaim his children.

Ryan Francis as young Peter Pan in flashbacks, and Max Hoffman as infant Peter.

Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook: A villainous pirate who has had a long rivalry with Peter Pan. After escaping from his death, Hook seeks revenge against Peter by kidnapping his two children. He does not harm the children, instead using indoctrination to make the children prefer him to their parents.

Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell: A fairy who helps Peter regain memory of his childhood and "happy thoughts".

Lisa Wilhoit as the young Tinker Bell.

Bob Hoskins as Smee: Hook's henchman who devises the plan to persuade Peter's children to "love" Hook. Hoskins also plays a rubbish sweeper in Kensington Gardens whose resemblance to Smee is noticed by Peter in the film's final scenes.

Maggie Smith as Wendy Darling: A former neighbor of J. M. Barrie, who was credited as the author of Peter Pan. After Wendy's adventures with Peter Pan, she becomes well known for helping orphans.

Gwyneth Paltrow appears as young Wendy Darling in flashbacks.

Charlie Korsmo as Jack Banning: Peter and Moira's preteen son who begins to rebel against his neglectful father and looks towards Hook as a father figure. Witnessing Hook's defeat of Rufio turns Jack against him when he realizes how much Peter cares for the Lost Boys.

Amber Scott as Maggie Banning: Peter and Moira's sweet and imaginative daughter, who is enamoured with the stories of Peter Pan. She mistrusts Hook and still retains faith in her father despite his broken promises.

Dante Basco as Rufio: Leader of the Lost Boys since Peter's departure from Neverland. He initially refuses to believe Peter Banning is his old friend, Peter Pan, but later accepts him as his leader and goes as far as to admit that he loved Peter like a father. He later dies fighting Hook.

Arthur Malet as Tootles: A senile old man living with Wendy. A former Lost Boy, Tootles is also Wendy's "first orphan".

Jeff Kroeger, Jasen Fisher and James Madio portray Lost Boys. Kelly Rowan makes a cameo appearance as Peter Pan's mother and pop star Phil Collins appears briefly as an English police inspector. More cameos include singers David Crosby and Jimmy Buffett as members of Hook's pirate crew, Nick Tate as a pirate who fights Peter Pan while taking away Maggie, and Glenn Close similarly appears as a male pirate who is punished by Hook. Filmmaker George Lucas and actress Carrie Fisher appear as the couple accidentally sprinkled with fairy dust as Tinker Bell brings Peter to Neverland.